After a near three-hour weather delay on Thursday, UCF fell behind Boise State early. The Knights charged back to give new head coach Gus Malzahn his first win for UCF.
There was plenty of future NFL talent on display at the Bounce House.
BOISE STATE BRONCOS
28 CB Kekaula Kaniho Sr 5-10 182
Kaniho was one of my favorite nickel corners a year ago. He is normally very solid in man-to-man coverage. Kaniho did get beat by Jaylon Robinson on a 48-yard completion. He was later ejected for targeting after delivering a dirty hit to Robinson in the fourth quarter. Kaniho finished the game with eight tackles (six solos) and one PBU.
55 EDGE Shane Irwin Sr 6-3 254
Irwin has quick hands and disengages from blockers quickly. He finished with four tackles (two solos) and one TFL against UCF.
44 LB Riley Whimpey Sr 6-1 233
Whimpey is a productive linebacker for the Broncos but he isn’t much of an athlete. He is stocky and wears a cowboy collar. Whimpey tallied 11 tackles (six solos) on Thursday.
19 QB Hank Bachmeier Jr 6-1 205
Bachmeier has a slow release and mechanical issues. He does have an above-average arm. However, Bachmeier isn’t going to win a foot race against many people. He threw for 263 yards on 25/39 passing with two scores and one pick.
68 G Jake Stetz Sr 6-2 310
Stetz has quick feet for a big man and pulls well. He did get overwhelmed at times by the UCF interior defense.
2 WR Khalil Shakir Sr 6-0 190
Shakir may be the best Bronco pro prospect. He is a chess piece player. Shakir has strong hands, runs after the catch well, and has excellent balance. He notched five catches for 91 yards and two TDs against UCF.
24 RB George Holani RSo 5-11 200
Holani was ruled out of this game for undisclosed reasons.
UCF KNIGHTS
5 DL Ricky Barber Jr 6-3 250
The former Western Kentucky Hilltopper was active all night for UCF. He disrupted the Boise State offense several times. Barber finished with four tackles (one solo), 1.5 TFLs, and 1 batted ball.
1 EDGE Big Kat Bryant Sr 6-4 247
Another transfer for the UCF defense, this time from Auburn. Big Kat Bryant looked noticeably better body-wise than the last time I saw him. He was attacking blockers and being very decisive on option-type plays. He forced Bachmeier off of his spot multiple times. Bryant tallied three tackles (one solo) and two QB hurries.
15 LB Tatum Bethune Jr 6-1 215
Bethune is a big hitter but gets sloppy on his form. He needs to wrap up better in space. Bethune finished with five tackles (one solo).
65 G Cole Schneider Sr 6-3 312
For a guard over 6’3”, Schneider plays with a low center of gravity. He wasn’t pushed off of his spot very often.
11 QB Dillon Gabriel Jr 6-0 186
Gabriel is undersized with an average arm. He is a decent enough athlete and made several plays with his feet in this game. Gabriel does stay patient in the pocket and gets through his progressions well. He made a colossal error on the opening drive. Gabriel severely underthrew a ball that led to a 100-yard TD the other way. At best I think Gabriel is a late day three prospect. Gabriel did overcome it however and led his team to the win. He finished 25/37 for 318 yards with four TD passes and two INTs. Gabriel also had 64 yards rushing.
1 WR Jaylon Robinson Sr 5-9 163
Robinson is quicker than a hiccup. He has soft hands and big-time speed. Robinson caught a nice 50/50 ball for a TD in the third quarter. I just struggle projecting skinny receivers and he certainly is that.